need some major help

[super_slick]

here is the jist of my problems

my computer (xp sp2) was working fine and i decided to do a scan of my computer so i said better to do virus scan and such under safemode

i tried to get in safe mode but it wouldnt go when i hit f8, it would just go to normal boot. so i went to msconfig and edited boot.ini to do safeboot.

after that is when i started going through problems. my computer would then just keep restarting as soon as it hit safemode, and since it was told in boot.ini to always load in safe mode it put it in loop.

well then i decided maybe windows xp disk doing a repair would work. it didnt, it would get a minute into setup and restart now making it a 1 min longer loop.

i borrowed a friends hard drive to get on the computer at least to see if this could get fixed. i found out how to edit the boot.ini file and i did that to my drive. once i thought all was said and done and tried booting from that drive again it goes through the windows setup thing. i know i shouldve waited to get on the net before trying anything but hindsight is 20/20.

so is there a way to get rid of that setup thing from starting up because all my data is still chilling on there just dandy if i hook it up as a slave. and i dont wanna lose it (who ever does?)

thanks
scott

p.s. for a 200 point bonus question!!!
if i can get rid of that windows setup thing how do i get into safemode since my computer wont let me

 

[superdave1984]

As soon as you hit the power button, start hitting F8. There is usually a pretty short time frame that it works. You will either get a keyboard error or the option to boot into safe mode.

 

[Law]

You did something to your boot.ini file that keeps your computer from booting up normally..and keeps bringing your computer in a restart loop?

Ok..usually I would just restore the boot.ini file or edit the boot.ini file from another computer. From another computer you just plug your hard drive as slave...then in computer management you have to mount it so Windows can see it. Then unhide hidden files and system OS file, you'll see the boot.ini file for your hard drive at the begining, just edit it back to default setting. That's why you always make a backup of any system file before you edit it.

Another easier way is rebuilding it, here at this site will give you a guide

http://www.xmission.com/~comphope/issues/ch000648.htm

Then afterward check that you can boot into XP normal mode..after that if you still can't get into safe mode. I would probably try a repair or check Control Panel/System>Advanced>...something..I forgot.

 

[super_slick]

its not that my computer is now on a constant restart loop anymore i already changed the boot.ini file. i just need help getting rid of it trying to go through the windows install setup. it does that because i thought that would fix it but it didnt. since i tried to get windows to repair itself but since safeboot was active it would go all the way because it cant install during safe mode. but now since safemode isnt on and not restarting itself, it now tries to install windows.

so is there a way i can delete the necessary files from booting up the windows install from the hard drive??

i know how to go into safe mode its just that if you do i would get into it but as soon as it did it would restart. but since i manually changed the boot.ini to do safeboot, it looped

 

[sir nerdalot]

back up all your data that you want to keep onto friends HDD, format your HDD and reinstall windows then just move data from friends HDD onto yours